# WTF is up with Iceberg Lettuce **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785 "2009-07-21T21:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/61 "2009-07-22T13:44:32Z")
Several years ago, my wife mentioned that iceberg lettuce tasted like dirt to her. Once she pointed it out, I couldn’t stop tasting it, so now whenever I order, well, _anything_, I ask them to hold the lettuce. You never know what food it’ll appear on, which is really annoying. I’ve also come to associate the texture of shredded iceberg with that of hair, so food with shredded iceberg seems to be covered with hair that tastes like dirt. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/62 "2009-07-22T14:37:38Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > In Chinatown, on Somerset east around Booth, there is a small restaurant with a white front sandwiched between two other stores. It’s very narrow, and as near as I can tell it has no name. The only people who eat there are Asians. When you walk in the door, all conversation will stop and everyone will stare at you with inscrutible, impassive eyes. There is no English on the menus so you’ll probably end up ordering randomly. But the food is awesome, and all traditional Chinese fare. Braised duck uteruses on a bed of rice, pork offal soup, and fried cow intestine are all to be had if you’re adventurous, and the prices are extremely reasonable. Haha…silly roundeye, they passed off deer tendon as duck uterus? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/63 "2009-07-22T14:53:42Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How do you know you’re eating duck uterus if there’s no English on the menu? By the outraged ducks marching up and down in front with picket signs. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/64 "2009-07-22T14:58:25Z")
I like romaine best, but I will chop up the dreaded (but generally cheap) iceberg and scatter a handful of the pricey field greens over it. Best of both worlds. And when I was doing the South Beach diet years ago, iceberg leaves were a swell substitute for bready-wraps. Though romaine was good, too. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/65 "2009-07-22T15:08:37Z")
I will eat any salad green, but given a choice: Arugula. Mmmmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/66 "2009-07-22T15:16:18Z")
I like plain green leaf lettuce the best. On everything except in Chinese food. However, I do think I _could_ like iceberg, if I grew it myself or got it from a farmer’s market, as my big problem with it is that it always tastes like pesticides to me no matter how well it’s washed. This year I’m growing a soft, green variety of lettuce (I forget the name), and it’s growing like weeds- we’re eating a lot of salad and still not keeping up with it. Next year, I’ll probably devote part of the bed to iceberg and see what I get. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/67 "2009-07-22T15:18:30Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How do you know you’re eating duck uterus if there’s no English on the menu? The servers do speak some English, and will tell you if you ask. Many of the Chinese groceries nearby have vats of duck uteruses in their deli sections, so I assume it’s a fairly common Chinese dish. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/68 "2009-07-22T15:38:33Z")
For everything that iceberg does, there’s some other vegetable that does it better. If you just want something with texture and no calories, go for the celery. It’s got more texture to it than any sort of lettuce, and unlike iceberg, it actually has some (though admittedly not much) flavor. For a base for a salad, any other kind of lettuce at all will work as well, or something like spinach. You can’t always find real lettuce at a salad bar, but I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t have spinach. The only reason restaurants like iceberg so much is that it gives food a lot of bulk essentially for free, and I think the primary reason Americans in general eat so much of it is that restaurants are always using it, so they figure it must be good. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/69 "2009-07-22T18:17:31Z")
So the iceberg lettuce growers will have to learn to grow something else, like the Afghanis with their opium? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/70 "2009-07-22T18:20:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The only reason restaurants like iceberg so much is that it gives food a lot of bulk essentially for free, and I think the primary reason Americans in general eat so much of it is that restaurants are always using it, so they figure it must be good. Whenever I can, I ask for spinach instead of lettuce. It tastes better, and is better for ya. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/71 "2009-07-22T18:21:44Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > The servers do speak some English, and will tell you if you ask. Many of the Chinese groceries nearby have vats of duck uteruses in their deli sections, so I assume it’s a fairly common Chinese dish. Well, for a really authentic experience, I prefer to have no idea what I’m eating. But to assume that it’s as disgusting as possible. And to deign silverware as a matter of habit. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/72 "2009-07-22T19:52:34Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > It makes great BLTs, especially with home grown tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper, and of course Duke’s mayonnaise. Damn, I hope my first tomatoes will have ripened by this weekend. Hellman’s for me, but as long as the “mayo” isn’t Miracle Crap, I’m good. I have tried sandwiches with greens from my garden, and iceberg is superior. For salads, I’ll take more interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/73 "2009-07-22T20:56:42Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > You’re throwing the heart away, right? Because I like iceburg well enough, but only the noticeably green leaves. The closer to the core you get, the less edible it becomes. You must be joking. The succulent essence of iceberg is contained in the heart of the head (so to speak). Note that I speak of the ideal iceberg head, where leaves are somewhat loosely arranged even at the center. Nothing is more tasteless and unsatisfying than one of those iceberg heads that resembles a hard wet softball when you cut into it. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/74 "2009-07-22T21:59:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For everything that iceberg does, there’s some other vegetable that does it better. If you just want something with texture and no calories, go for the celery. It’s got more texture to it than any sort of lettuce, and unlike iceberg, it actually has some (though admittedly not much) flavor. For a base for a salad, any other kind of lettuce at all will work as well, or something like spinach. You can’t always find real lettuce at a salad bar, but I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t have spinach. > > The only reason restaurants like iceberg so much is that it gives food a lot of bulk essentially for free, and I think the primary reason Americans in general eat so much of it is that restaurants are always using it, so they figure it must be good. I think it’s habit. As was pointed out back in the day before we had proper methods of transporting and storing fresh produce, Iceberg travelled the best. So it became a staple of the American anti-vegetable diet. It’s like the only vegetable one can eat without actually having to eat your vegetables. It’s the cipher-vegetable. I’ve noticed on the whole that the people in this thread who like iceberg the best are the people who really don’t seem to enjoy leafy greens. My favorites are Romaines, Spinach and especially Bok Choy. It’s odd to me that people think Iceberg is what’s appropriate for Mexican food. I have never had that experience growing up in New Mexico or living in New York. Like any other restaurant type of food, the better the restaurant the more likely it’s going to be Romaine. Iceberg is slightly cheaper, as in a few cents cheaper, not significantly. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/75 "2009-07-22T22:32:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For everything that iceberg does, there’s some other vegetable that does it better. Come on over for dinner tomorrow night. I want to watch you try to make lettuce wraps with a piece of celery. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/76 "2009-07-22T22:49:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Come on over for dinner tomorrow night. I want to watch you try to make lettuce wraps with a piece of celery. Lettuce wraps? Butter leaf. (Or Bibb lettuce.) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/77 "2009-07-22T23:39:26Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > You must be joking. The succulent essence of iceberg is contained in the heart of the head (so to speak). I’m not. I like the outer leaves just fine, and love them on a burger, but I hate the interior of iceburg lettuce, and will pick out any pale pieces I find in any dish I’m eating. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/78 "2009-07-23T03:41:18Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > It’s odd to me that people think Iceberg is what’s appropriate for Mexican food. I have never had that experience growing up in New Mexico or living in New York. Like any other restaurant type of food, the better the restaurant the more likely it’s going to be Romaine. > > Iceberg is slightly cheaper, as in a few cents cheaper, not significantly. Well, I’m from Los Angeles, and I’ve yet to see a single Mexican serve romaine lettuce in their home-cooked food. It’s always iceberg. As you say, it’s probably a fancy restaurant thing. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/79 "2009-07-23T04:00:51Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > Well, I’m from Los Angeles, and I’ve yet to see a single Mexican serve romaine lettuce in their home-cooked food. It’s always iceberg. > > As you say, it’s probably a fancy restaurant thing. Heh, I’ve had street tacos that used romaine. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785/80 "2009-07-23T07:44:44Z")
I think it’s a bit unfair to call iceberg tasteless. It was one of my favourite vegetables as a kid, so it obviously has to have some sort of taste. I don’t enjoy it as much these days now that I’ve discovered more vegetables (it’s a little bland and I find it bitter sometimes, which is odd since romaine and other supposedly bitter vegetables don’t bother me), but I still like to have it now and then. It’s got a nice texture and a pleasant sweetness. I don’t get why people hate on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-iceberg-lettuce/503785.md?page=5)